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FANTASTICTREES ANDWHERE TOPLANT THEM

The Tree Planter’sGuide to ProtectingClean Water and Actingon Climate Change inthe Great Lakes Region

M a r c h 2 0 2 1

We depend on trees. Treesclean our air, cool our planet,reduce our energy needs,support our economy, andprovide wood for building ourcommunities. Along city streetsor deep in the woods, treeskeep rivers, lakes, and drinkingwater clean, reduce the risk offlooding, and sustain fish andwildlife populations.

However, the benefits thattrees provide are not equallydistributed. Due to racialdisparities, communities ofcolor have fewer trees,increased air and waterpollution, and less resources tohelp plant and maintain trees.

While roughly half of the GreatLakes region is forested, we arelacking trees in critical areas.By strategically planting treesin areas like along coldwaterstreams and in cooperationwith communities of color, wecan harness their benefits forall people, water, and land.

WHY PLANT TREES Trees and the benefits they provide have supportedcommunities in the Great Lakes region for thousandsof years.

To address the many impacts of the climate crisis, from morefrequent and intense spring rain events to more severe summerdrought, we need to identify both proven and emerging solutionsand take bold actions. By strategically planting trees, growing newforests, and protecting and managing existing forests, we canharness their ability to capture and store carbon, reduce flooding,absorb pollution, mitigate drought, clean and buffer coldwater,and support more resilient neighborhoods and communities.While trees alone cannot solve the problem, they can play acritical role in the solution.

“Over 180 million Americans and 68,000 communities gettheir drinking water via surface water reservoirs and groundwater wells supplied from forested lands” - U.S. Forest Service

TREES AS NATURAL SOLUTIONS

Plant trees to create a buffer to act like a sponge for stormwater runoff,create fish habitat, reduce flooding, and prevent erosion of the banks ofour prized rivers and streams. The wider the buffer, the better!

Along Rivers

What to look for: 1. lawn, agriculture or bare soil near or along thewater’s edge, 2. areas where ash and elm trees have died or reedcanary grass may dominate, 3. narrow strips of trees along waterwaysthat could be expanded.

WHERE TO PLANT

What to look for: 1. unused and/or wet lawn area, 2. lack of shade, 3.abandoned fields that are dominated by non-native grasses and weeds.

What to watch out for: Oak savannas are imperiled ecosystems that canbe degraded by adding trees. There may be clues that can help youidentify these areas such as dry sandy soils, certain understory plantscalled indicator species and the presence of large oak trees withexpansive crowns and large limbs. Work with community partners orconsult the help of a professional as these sites could be enhanced byreintroducing fire and planting native wildflowers and grasses forbiodiversity.

WHERE TO PLANT

In Cities, Yards and Across the OpenLandscapePlant empty areas to filter stormwater runoff and reduce flooding, coolurban areas and reduce energy needs, provide habitat and sequestercarbon, and build natural corridors that are critical to speciesmigration in fragmented landscapes.

L o o k i n g f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t w h e r e t o p l a n t ? C h e c k o u t t h e R e f o r e s t a t i o n H u b b y T h e N a t u r e C o n s e r v a n c y

a n d A m e r i c a n F o r e s t s

WHERE TO PLANT

Enhance and restore our forests that have been impacted by poor loggingpractices, climate stress and invasive forest pests like emerald ash borerand hemlock woolly adelgid.

What to look for: gaps in the forest canopy where natural regeneration hasfailed or non-native plants have “captured the gap” or where otherproblems are identified with the help of a professional consulting forester.

What to watch out for: 1. deer, rabbits and other hungry creatures that eatyoung trees (may need tree protection) 2. competing invasive plantspecies, 3. invasive insects and diseases.

In Forests

Plant a diversity of native species which

have evolved with, and provide better

food options to, local pollinators and

wildlife

Avoid planting species that are already

abundant

Explore the soils, sunlight availability,

and moisture of the site being

considered for planting

Use fencing or tubes to protect young

trees from browsing deer or plant trees

that are less preferred for browsing

Explore anticipated heights and be

mindful of utilities and other structures

Select trees with adaptive characteristics

that may thrive in your location in the

future

Compare the scale, costs, and

maintenance needs of large saplings vs.

small seedlings

There are several helpfulvideos and resources online.Check out ReLeaf Michigan,the Arbor Day Foundation,

Michigan Department ofNatural Resources and

Michigan State UniversityExtension.

HOW TO PLANT

WHAT TO PLANTThere is a lot to ponder when it comes toplanting trees that will thrive in your area.Here are some key considerations:

Searching for more information about different kinds of trees? Browse tree information from The Morton Arboretum

The trees growing naturally in your neck of the woods are descendants oftrees that migrated here over thousands of years since the last ice age - asseeds blown on the wind or carried by wildlife. These trees include somespecies that are on the northern end of their current natural range andsome on the southern end of their current natural range. Like wildlife,trees have preferences and habitat needs. Scientific models predict thatthe rate of climate change will outpace the natural ability of many trees tomigrate. This threat is exacerbated by the lack of natural corridors thatallows for species migration across a landscape. Planting trees that arepredicted to gain suitable habitat here in the future may help assist theirmigration and establish forests that are more resilient to the effects ofclimate change like drought, milder winters, and pest outbreaks.

HOW TO PLAN FOR ACHANGING CLIMATE

Here are some examples of regionally native species that maygain suitable habitat in the Great Lakes region and may beinfrequently or less severely browsed by deer. Contact your

County's Conservation District for seedlings and tailored advice.

Looking for more climate resources? Check out the Climate ChangeProjections for Tree Species in the Northwoods by the Northern

Institute of Applied Climate Science

If your family owns land, one of the most important exercises you can do isexplore legacy planning to keep your forest intact and in your family.Landowner incentives like the Michigan Qualified Forest Program orWisconsin Managed Forest Law may help you keep taxes low and tools likeConservation Easements through your local land trust can offer permanentprotection for your forest from development and deforestation, as well asother potential tax benefits. Programs also exist to provide advice andfinancial assistance for planning forest management, controlling invasivespecies, climate adaptation actions, planting trees, and more through yourCounty’s Conservation District and the USDA-Natural ResourcesConservation Service. Certifying your family forest through the AmericanTree Farm System can help you voluntarily meet internationallyrecognized sustainability standards and connect you with foresters,resources, and other landowners who care deeply for their forests.

Wood is potentially the greenest raw material when forests are managedresponsibly by an informed public with the help of qualified and ethicalforesters and loggers, and when timber goals are balanced with othersocietal goals like carbon storage, recreation, spiritual needs, biodiversity,and clean water.

KEEPING FORESTS AS FORESTS

The benefits of trees are vast and there are many opportunities across theGreat Lakes to plant, manage, and care for them in a strategic, cooperative,and equitable way for the good of all communities and the land and waterthat sustains us.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis project was funded by a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grantthrough the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Thisinstitution is an equal opportunity provider.

F o r a d d i t i o n a l r e s o u r c e s , p l e a s e c o n t a c t T r o u t U n l i m i t e d G r e a t L a k e s S t a f f